Still in the hunt: Emmanuelle Rivas (“Amour”), Helen Mirren (“Hitchcock”)

The top three — Lawrence, Chastain, Cotillard — appear to be locked in. Watts seems like she’ll grab the fourth spot but she’s not as solid as the others. The betting is that the Academy voters will want to acknowledge “Beasts of the Southern Wild” in some way and a nomination for Wallis (who was six when she made the film) is a possibility. But don’t be surprise if Rivas (now 82) and Oscar favorite Mirren slide in.

You would drive by it if you didn’t know what you were looking for. Tucked away in this Alameda neighborhood full of track houses and tidy lawns is the Evil Geniuses training facility. Unassuming on the outside, the beige-colored home hosts the e-sports organization’s “” team, one of the top squads in the world. Inside the living room, monitors and...

HAYWARD — When it comes to entering the professional world, Alex Baker says he and other Cal State East Bay staff members know how important it is to dress for success at job interviews, where appearances on paper and in person matter the most. For some students, particularly those facing food or housing issues, borrowing or buying clothes for that...